Thieves Grab Toxic Powder During School Burglary

AROUND CENTRAL FLORIDA

March 23, 1996

MELBOURNE — A vial containing a highly toxic powder was among the items stolen from offices at Florida Tech, and whoever handles it could be in danger.

Florida Tech employees noticed several offices vandalized and burglarized at the school's Link Engineering Building on Friday morning. About $2,500 in checks were missing, and a vial with 1/16th of a teaspoon of a dangerous poison was stolen from the locked cabinet of a biology professor, said Debbie Duschl, manager of media relations.

The botulinal toxin causes botulism poisoning, and the small amount stolen, while not a public threat, could be lethal if taken internally, Duschl said.

The powder was sealed in a can wrapped in a mailing tube, which was marked as toxic. School officials do not think the thief or thieves were specifically seeking the substance.